Republican Sen. Marco Rubio was put on the defensive Wednesday by angry students, teachers and parents who are demanding stronger gun-control measures after the shooting rampage that claimed 17 lives at a Florida high school. One of those confronting the Florida senator at a CNN's "Stand Up" town hall Wednesday night was Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed on Feb...

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio was put on the defensive Wednesday by angry students, teachers and parents who are demanding stronger gun-control measures after the shooting rampage that claimed 17 lives...

The Latest on Billy Graham's relationship with the presidents (all times local): 9:30 p.m. The Rev. Billy Graham was a presidential fixture stretching back to the early years of the Cold War. Harry Truman rebuffed but later embraced Graham. He urged Dwight D. Eisenhower to run for president and played golf with John F. Kennedy. Graham was close to Lyndon B. Johnson. His relationship with Richard Nixon...

The Latest on Billy Graham's relationship with the presidents (all times local): 9:30 p.m. The Rev. Billy Graham was a presidential fixture stretching back to the early years of the Cold War. Harry Truman...

Television personality Geraldo Rivera says he has discussed the idea of raising the minimum age to purchase assault-type weapons with President Donald Trump, adding that Trump "took it under advisement." Rivera, a Fox News contributor, says in an email Wednesday that he spoke with Trump during a dinner at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend. He added that Trump "further suggested strongly that...

Witnesses told investigators that a garbage truck struck by a train carrying Republican congressmen through rural Virginia entered the railroad crossing after the safety gates had come down, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report released Wednesday. The report on the Jan. 31 crash said the probable cause of the accident has not yet been determined. But it offered some...

The White House's top economist said Wednesday the U.S. could achieve annual growth rates of 3 percent through the next decade if President Donald Trump's policies on regulations and infrastructure are enacted. The Council of Economic Advisers released its annual economic report, which praises the effects of the tax cuts and tax overhaul signed into law by Trump last December. The report forecasts...

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that whistleblower protections passed by Congress after the 2008 financial crisis only apply to people who report problems to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, not more broadly. The justices said that a part of the Dodd-Frank Act that protects whistleblowers from being fired, demoted or harassed only applies to people who report legal violations to the...

The Supreme Court is preventing survivors of a 1997 terrorist attack from seizing Persian artifacts at a Chicago museum to help pay a $71.5 million default judgment against Iran. The court ruled 8-0 Wednesday against U.S. victims of a Jerusalem suicide bombing. They want to lay claim to artifacts that were loaned by Iran to the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute more than 80 years ago. Justice...

The Secret Service says they have cleared a suspicious vehicle near the White House. The law enforcement agency says on Twitter Wednesday that vehicle road closures have been lifted, though some areas remain closed to pedestrians. Earlier in the morning, the agency said they were responding to a vehicle near 17th Street, by the White House. In response the New Executive Office Building was being evacuated...

The teenagers of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, who a week ago lost 17 of their classmates and school staff members in a mass shooting, have emerged as passionate advocates for reform, speaking openly of their anger in the hope of forcing a reckoning on guns. But in certain right-wing corners of the web — and, increasingly, from more mainstream voices like Rush...

To hear President Donald Trump tell it, he is tougher than former president Barack Obama. He is smarter than Obama — more shrewd, more effective, more respected. The 45th president is, by his own accounting, superlative to the 44th in almost every way. In private and in public, while devising policies and while crafting messages, Trump frequently draws flattering comparisons with his predecessor...

President Donald Trump, who spent months belittling charges that Russia meddled in the 2016 election, has managed to revive questions about how his predecessor, President Barack Obama, handled suspicions about Russia in the months before the election. Some former Obama officials now confess to misgivings about Obama’s reluctance to act, or speak out more forcefully, even as the evidence...

He called it "heartbreaking" and said he was devastated. Dozens killed or injured in a shooting rampage that shook Florida and the nation - and "deeply impacted" him as he considered his political future. Twenty months passed. Then, it happened again. Another mass killing. Now, Marco Rubio has become the face of congressional inaction on tougher gun restrictions, especially...

Driven by rage and grief over one of the deadliest school shootings in modern American history, students from across the country were taking action in hopes of pushing their lawmakers to rethink their positions on gun control, even as the Florida House rejected a move on Tuesday to consider a bill that would ban assault rifles. From California to Florida, teenagers walked out of classes, stopped...

The son-in-law of a Russia-based billionaire admitted Tuesday to lying to investigators about his communications with a former Trump campaign aide. The guilty plea by the defendant, a lawyer at a powerful New York-based law firm, broadened the scope of the special counsel’s inquiry into Russia’s election interference. The lawyer, Alex van der Zwaan, a 33-year-old Dutch citizen, acknowledged...

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, is resisting giving up his access to highly classified information, prompting an internal struggle with John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, over who should be allowed to see some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets, according to White House officials and others briefed on the matter. Kushner is one...

Donald Trump Jr. said any talk of his family profiting from his father's presidency is "nonsense" during a trip to India that has raised ethical concerns about using the name of the American president to promote international business ventures. The eldest son of President Donald Trump said his family is actually missing out on business opportunities because his father pledged to conduct...

A California state senator accused of sexual misconduct apologized Wednesday to anyone who felt uncomfortable because of his behavior but flatly denied two of the more serious allegations, one involving a 19-year-old female intern, a day before his fellow senators could decide his punishment. Sen. Tony Mendoza offered his first words of conciliation but otherwise struck a defiant tone in a two-page...

Grumbling and jeers met the request for a moment of silence for the 17 people killed last week in the Florida school shooting. "Let's do something for them!" one man yelled at the beginning of Republican Rep. Mike Coffman's town hall Tuesday night. Another participant cried out, "We're done with thoughts and prayers!" Coffman's swing district in the Denver suburbs is all too familiar...

Spilling out wrenching tales of lost lives and stolen security, students and parents appealed to President Donald Trump on Wednesday to set politics aside and protect America's school children from the scourge of gun violence. Trump listened intently to the raw emotion and pledged action, including the possibility of arming teachers. "I turned 18 the day after" the shooting, said a tearful...

Vice President Mike Pence was all set to hold a history-making meeting with North Korean officials during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but Kim Jong Un's government canceled at the last minute, the Trump administration said Tuesday. A potential meeting between Pence and the North Koreans had been the most highly anticipated moment of the vice president's visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, where...

It's a week of reckoning for White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and dozens of other officials who have been working without permanent security clearances for the better part of a year. Those who have been operating with interim access to top secret information since before June are set to see that access halted Friday under a new policy enacted last week by chief of staff John Kelly. Some officials...

As thousands marched in the streets of London recently to protest funding cuts to the British National Health Service, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to criticize the idea of universal health care. We looked at the origins of the march and recent polling statistics about British public opinion on the National Health Service, commonly called the NHS. We also looked at the current funding situation...

The wife of a former Kentucky Republican lawmaker who killed himself last year after facing sexual assault allegations has lost her attempt to fill the remainder of her husband's term in a special election that ended up being a referendum of sorts on the #metoo movement. Rebecca Johnson denied the allegations against Dan Johnson, claiming he was a victim of "an assault from the left." But...

A California senator likely engaged in unwanted flirtatious or sexually suggestive behavior with six women he worked with, including four subordinates, according to an independent investigation released Tuesday. The investigation, which was conducted by outside lawyers at the Senate's request, found Democratic Sen. Tony Mendoza "more likely than not" engaged in behavior such as offering...

It's a week of reckoning for White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and dozens of other officials who have been working without permanent security clearances for the better part of a year. Those who have been operating with interim access to top secret information since before June are set to see that access halted Friday under a new policy enacted last week by chief of staff John Kelly. Some officials...

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull heads to the United States on Wednesday, accompanied by the largest Australian political and business delegation ever to visit the U.S. President Donald Trump's softening opposition to joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be up for discussion when he meets Turnbull at the White House on Friday. The trade deal among 11 countries includes Australia, which also has...

In a Kansas governor's race that's already wild and crowded, more than half a dozen of the prospective candidates are teenagers, and legislators are divided over whether to try to prevent having such young hopefuls in the field in the future. The Kansas House on a 73-43 vote advanced a bill Tuesday that would require candidates for governor and other statewide offices to be voters in the state, starting...

Vice President Mike Pence was all set to hold a history-making meeting with North Korean officials during the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but Kim Jong Un's government canceled at the last minute, the Trump administration said Tuesday. A potential meeting between Pence and the North Koreans had been the most highly anticipated moment of the vice president's visit to Pyeongchang, South Korea, where...

Campaigning to keep his job, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Tuesday he had no intention of quitting despite blistering findings of travel abuses connected to his 11-day trip to Europe. He issued an extraordinary warning to VA staff rebelling against him: Get back in line or get out. Speaking after a Tuesday meeting at the White House, Shulkin told The Associated Press that White House...

The House Ethics Committee confirmed Tuesday that it is investigating Republican Rep. John Duncan Jr., of Tennessee over unspecified allegations, after media reports last year that he had paid his son for campaign work. Duncan Jr., who is serving his 16th term in the House and had previously announced he won't seek re-election, dismissed the complaint against him as "obviously very political&quot...

Should teachers carry guns? Will having a gun make you safer? What gun sale rules save lives? Following the school shooting last week in Parkland, Fla., that killed 17, calls for action have filled the news. But safety advocates say they lack perhaps the most important tool of all: objective research to know what actions would actually work. Following testimony Thursday by new U.S....

A Clinton-Obama sex tape using body doubles. A Facebook page promoting Texas independence riddled with grammatical mistakes. Islamic State anthems blasting out during the nightshift. The U.S. indictment centered on a Russian troll farm only scratches the surface of the St. Petersburg agency that allegedly produced online content to sway the 2016 presidential election — and glosses over how unconvincing...

The Latest on the Russia probe (all times local): 3:25 p.m. An attorney for a prominent law firm is pleading guilty to lying to federal authorities about his interactions with a former Trump campaign associate. Alex van der Zwaan is entering the plea in federal court in Washington where he is admitting to lying to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators about his interactions with Rick Gates...

People who crossed paths with Rob Porter in Harvard classrooms or the hallways of Capitol Hill describe him in glowing terms: He was articulate enough to be secretary of state. Intelligent enough to be a Supreme Court justice. Driven enough to be president. Until Porter resigned as a White House aide amid domestic abuse accusations, plunging the Trump administration into a scandal over the vetting...

The Trump administration Tuesday spelled out a plan to lower the cost of health insurance: give consumers the option of buying less coverage in exchange for reduced premiums. The proposed regulations would expand an alternative to the comprehensive medical plans required under former President Barack Obama's health law. Individuals could buy so-called "short-term" policies for up to 12 months...

The boldest voices to emerge in the wake of last week's mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. have been unexpected ones. Surviving students at the school quickly spoke out on social media and to news cameras both about the incident and, more broadly, about political leadership which they saw as having let them down. In the days since, those voices have only...

The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local): 5:05 p.m. The Justice Department says it is moving quickly with its review of "bump stock" devices after President Donald Trump directed the agency to propose regulations banning them. The devices allow semi-automatic rifles to fire faster and were used in last year's Las Vegas massacre. The Justice Department in December announced...

A 33-year-old attorney fired last year by a prominent international law firm became the fourth person to plead guilty in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, admitting Tuesday that he lied to federal investigators about his contacts with a Trump campaign official. Alex van der Zwaan, who worked at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, admitted in Washington's federal...

The president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is making what's been dubbed an unofficial visit to India to promote his family's real estate projects. But he's also planning to deliver a foreign policy speech on Indo-Pacific relations at an event with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Beginning Tuesday, the junior Trump will have a full schedule of meet-and-greets with investors and business...

The story seemed to begin innocuously - a tale of a White House romance, delivered in gossipy style, with the help of paparazzi who caught the attractive staffers canoodling around town. But it gave only a hint of a darker intrigue that was percolating - as reporters for strikingly different publications chased a story about domestic abuse allegations against the male half of the couple, Rob...

Mallory Hagan's Christmas was rather intense. Days before the holiday, emails about the former Miss America were made public, illuminating the abuse Hagan had absorbed at the hands of pageant officials. One email discussed her sexual partners, another ridiculed her body, saying she was preparing "for her new career . . . as a blimp in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade." Eight weeks later...

The White House was under siege. Domestic abuse allegations against a senior aide were ignored, pointing to a potential high-level coverup. Two Cabinet secretaries were caught charging taxpayers for luxury travel. A Playboy centerfold alleged an extramarital affair with the president. And the special counsel's Russia investigation was intensifying. The tumult was so intense that there...

Hearing from parents and students who lost friends and family members in last week’s school shooting in Florida, President
Donald Trump said it was time for the nation to work together to better safeguard schools, as he advocated stronger security
including the possibility of allowing teachers and administrators to carry concealed weapons during the school day. &ldquo...

As several hundred high school students rallied at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, asking lawmakers to press for gun controls,
there were more calls in the halls of Congress for action on gun violence, with both parties waiting to see what the President
might do on guns, as the White House did not immediately reject some of the ideas, like age limits for people buying high-powered...

The Kremlin could find no better friend to demoralize the United States than its current president. A roundup of editorials Wednesday takes a look at the issue. 1. From The Guardian: Journalists need to hammer Trump with the same question until he answers it. 2. Trump Is helping to undermine American democracy From CNN: Trump’s tweets are as effective a tool as Russian meddling when...

Robert Mueller is issuing indictments, but is he indicting the right people? A roundup of editorials Wednesday takes a look at the issue. 1. Silly Russian ads didn't swing voters; federal coverups did From The Hill: Sure, we should take action against the Russians, but what about the leaders in this country? 2. Mueller gets his ham sandwich, doesn't lay a glove on Trump From The Washington...

In the wake of the mass shooting at a high school in Florida last week, the White House told reporters on Tuesday that President
Donald Trump is ready to discuss a range of gun restrictions that have been championed by Democrats in Congress, while also
stressing that there is no quick legislative answer to such mass shootings. Asked about the President’s past support...

The way to keep our children safe is clear – shoring up our school security and getting better at spotting disturbed kids. Anything else is wasting time. A roundup of editorials Tuesday takes a look at the issue.Opinions from the Right:When hurting kids and parents have bad ideas: Addressing post-shooting activism From Townhall: Make schools secure, and learn how to spot kids who are disturbed...

The way to stop mass shootings is to restrict the sale of assault weapons. It’s the only thing that makes sense. A roundup of editorials Tuesday takes a look at the issue.Opinions from the left:On gun violence, we are a failed state From columnist E.J. Dionne: When will we stop letting the NRA decide if our children will be protected at school? No one becomes a mass shooter without mass-shooting...

The probe into Russian interference in the 2016 elections produced another indictment on Monday, as the feds charged a man
with making false statements to investigators working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, also accusing the lawyer of deleting
emails, and not cooperating with the probe. The initial document released by a Washington, D.C. federal court showed Alex Van...

The White House on Monday signaled that President Donald Trump is willing to back at least one bipartisan measure to strengthen
the national instant check system for those who buy firearms, as Democrats in the House and Senate continued to argue that
action by the Congress on gun violence is long overdue. “While discussions are ongoing and revisions are being considered...

Robert Mueller’s indictments of more than a dozen Russians are a good thing, but it’s just a start. A roundup of editorials Monday takes a look at the issue. 1. As Robert Mueller Fights Russian Meddling, Trump Is MIA From USA Today: What’s missing in the news of indictments of Russians for meddling in U.S. elections is some leadership from the White House. 2. Mueller Indictments...

The right wants to know where the left was on gun control when they had the White House As Democrats condemn the right for doing nothing after mass shootings, Republicans ask why the left did not pass another assault weapons ban when they were in charge. A roundup of editorials Monday takes a look at the issue. 1. Democrats, Spare Me Your Hypocrisy on Guns From S.E. Cupp, CNN: Where were the...

In the wake of a fresh round of indictments in the wide-ranging investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election
campaign, President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday and Sunday to repeatedly express his frustration with the probe,
again proclaiming his innocence, attacking his critics, and demanding attention instead on actions of the Obama Administration...

PolitiFact recently checked a Georgia gubernatorial candidate’s claim about high-speed availability for rural residents; a TV commentator’s statement on the number of immigrants in the country; and a senator’s comment about the nation’s rising national debt. Here are summaries of our findings. Full versions can be found at www.politifact.com. In Georgia, “25 percent of...

The investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election for President on Friday presented some of the first official
government evidence of actions taken in the campaign, as a federal grand jury returned an indictment against 13 Russians and
3 Russian entities, alleging that they used social media to support President Donald Trump, and oppose Democratic nominee
...

The office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced Friday that thirteen Russian nationals and three Russian groups had
been charged with violating U.S. criminal laws for interfering with the 2016 election, detailing a string of efforts to help
President Donald Trump’s campaign, and sew doubt about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. “Defendants, posing as U...

The left is asking when people will realize the root of the problem of mass shootings is access to guns. A roundup of editorials Friday takes a look at the issue. Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: You can’t shoot up a school – or concert, or night club – if you don’t have access to powerful guns and a lot of ammunition. From the Chicago Tribune: Events like the Florida high...

Whether it’s arming teachers or working on what’s wrong with our society we have to make some progress toward ending such violence. A roundup of editorials Friday takes a look at the issue. From The National Review::Teachers could be taught to be a first line of defense against someone firing a gun at school. From columnist Patrick Buchanan: We can’t expect an end to such violence...

With the Senate failing to make any headway on how to deal with the status of illegal immigrant “Dreamers,” lawmakers in the
Congress went home for a ten day break Thursday with no clear path forward on the politically difficult issue of immigration,
with a deadline to deal with DACA set by the President less than three weeks away. “It’s safe to say...

Social media sites Facebook and Instagram issued a statement Thursday saying they had deleted the profile of accused Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz. The 19-year-old gunman, who was charged Thursday with 17 counts of premeditated murder, had posted photos and at least one video that law enforcement officials called “very, very disturbing.” Cruz is charged with...

A roundup of editorials Thursday takes a look at ties between the Obama administration and the mess at the FBI and Justice Department.Opinions from the right:Media Ignoring Ties Between Clinton Campaign & RussiansFrom The Washington Post: The Democrats need to get past the Russian collusion story. Scandals Claiming a Lot of Bodies at FBI and JusticeFrom Investor's Business Daily: Why has the media...

A roundup of editorials Thursday takes a look at the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Programs, immigration and what Democrats should be focusing on. From The Los Angeles Times: We need to stop violations of the Fourth Amendment by ending the use of warrantless detainers. From Politico: Democrats should wait to cut a deal on DACA. From Real Clear Politics: The speaker of the House needs to take...

Unable to find an acceptable middle ground on the politically explosive issue of immigration, and the future of well over
a million illegal immigrant “Dreamers,” Senators of both parties on Thursday voted to filibuster a pair of plans from each
side, as a high profile legislative effort achieved only failure. “This is it. This is your last chance to vote for...

The mass shooting that killed 17 people Wednesday at a high school in Florida plunged Capitol Hill back into a debate over
gun restrictions, as Democrats cried out for some type of legislative response, criticizing the response of President Donald
Trump and GOP leaders in the Congress. “Mr. President, are you listening?” said Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL) on the House...

We wondered if Fox News’ Tucker Carlson was correct in saying the United States has more immigrants than ever. Carlson linked us to reports from the Center for Immigration Studies and Pew Research Center on the growing foreign-born population in the United States, which is now at a record high. The U.S. Census Bureau began asking people where they born in 1850. Large-scale immigration from Europe...

“George W. Bush doubled the debt from $5 trillion to $10 trillion. President Obama doubled the debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion. Now we’re on course to exceed $30 trillion in the next seven years or so.” — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018 in a Senate floor speech As the House and Senate were rushing to head off a government shutdown during a late-night...

Veterans Secretary David Shulkin is facing increased scrutiny from Congress, after the release of an internal watchdog report
today which found Shulkin’s 9-day government trip to Europe in the summer of 2017 was more like a personal vacation, as investigators
said Shulkin’s top aide misled ethics officials, which allowed his wife’s travel costs to be paid...

What happened to Trump’s promises to populists? A roundup of editorials Wednesday takes a look at the issue. From The Guardian: A populist wave can be turned back. Here’s how you can do it. From The New Republic: Trump is not realigning anything. He’s throwing bones to the middle class and steak to the rich. From The Washington Post: Trump was never a friend of the working class...

The Democratic memo should be out, and we should see everything that was used to produce that memo and the Republican one. A roundup of editorials Wednesday takes a look at the issue. From The Orange County Register: The thing we have to do is open up the process to the light of day. From The National Review: Keep Mueller’s investigation honest by opening another one. From the Journal-Times...

Pressing Democrats to accept an immigration plan along the lines of one endorsed by President Donald Trump, GOP Senators unveiled
the details of their plan to address the future of illegal immigrant “Dreamers,” a 592 page, nearly $100 billion measure that
focuses mainly on new efforts at border security, limits on family migration, and an end to the Diversity Visa...

As the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded a public hearing on Tuesday with top intelligence officials, the main headline
was a warning for lawmakers that Russia was planning influence operations in 2018 to again stir trouble in the upcoming mid-terms
elections in the United States. But then, panel chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) gave his final remarks to end the hearing...

A roundup of editorials Tuesday takes a look at where the Democrats stand as we edge closer to the midterm elections. From columnist Salena Zito: If the Democrats expect to be the change party then Nancy Pelosi has to go. From USA Today: The GOP is so far afield that some Republicans are hoping for a Democratic win in November. From Fox News: Are the Democrats celebrating a little too early when it...

A roundup of editorials Tuesday warns President Donald Trump that his attitude toward women will be the thing that takes him down. From columnist Juan Williams: Why are the GOP’s top stars providing cover for a president who has no past ties to the party? From The New Yorker: Trump’s bag of tricks will be useless when women decide they have had enough of him and his lack of empathy and...

Against the backdrop of an ongoing investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the 2016 elections,
and any possible ties to the Trump Campaign, top U.S. intelligence officials joined Tuesday on Capitol Hill to once more warn
lawmakers that Moscow will try to again stir trouble with the 2018 and 2020 elections. “Any elections that are coming...

As the Senate voted 97-1 on Monday to move past the first procedural hurdle in the way of an immigration debate on the Senate
floor, Republican Senators made clear they were not interested in a lengthy debate on DACA, as they pressed Democrats to simply
accept a plan offered by President Donald Trump on illegal immigrant Dreamers, arguing no other measure would get through...

President Donald Trump on Monday sent Congress a $4.4 trillion budget proposal for 2019 which all but waves the white flag
on efforts to hold down on federal deficits, as the White House is predicting that the deficit will hover just below $1 trillion
in four of the next five years, estimating that Mr. Trump would see over $7 trillion added to the debt if he served two terms...

A roundup of editorials Monday takes a look at the dossier, the dueling memos and why the Republicans are OK with trashing the FBI. 1. In Trump they trust From columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.: You won’t believe the FBI, but what President Donald Trump says is golden? 2. The Russians, the dossier and the memo From The Ashland Daily Tidings: What do you do when one party acts as an enabler...

A roundup of editorials Monday takes a look at the role Hillary Clinton’s campaign played in the investigation of Russian interference in U.S. elections. 1. Clinton fingerprints all over FBI's Trump investigation From The Federalist: Three pieces of information the FBI used to surveil Carter Page can be linked to the Democrats. 2. Scandal deepens for Hillary and Obama The Las Vegas...

Moving away from Republican Party orthodoxy on fiscal matters, President Donald Trump on Monday sent Congress a budget plan
for 2019 that makes little headway on reducing the federal deficit in coming years, as estimates from Mr. Trump’s own plan
show the yearly deficit running close to $1 trillion in four of the next six years. Numbers from the fine print of the Trump...

With lawmakers in both parties unable to reach an agreement in negotiations in recent weeks on how best to deal with illegal
immigrant “Dreamers” who were brought to the United States by their parents, the U.S. Senate on Monday is set to begin a freewheeling
debate which could produce a compromise on DACA, Dreamers, and border security, or the effort could also...

A day after the White House told House Democrats to edit an intelligence memo about the probe of Russian interference in the
2016 elections in order to remove sensitive intelligence materials, President Donald Trump accused Democrats of adding in
too much classified information on purpose, as Republicans said the President’s critics were simply playing political games...

A week after giving the green light to a memo written by Republicans in Congress which raised questions about the probe into
Russian interference in the 2016 elections, President Donald Trump on Friday refused to release a rebuttal memo from Democrats,
raising questions about details in the document. “Although the President is inclined to declassify the February 5th memorandum...

Accounts of abuse at the hands of Rob Porter were known to Chief of Staff John Kelly. Why didn’t he do something about it? A roundup of editorials Friday takes a look at the issue. The Washington Post: Which man’s integrity are we talking about here – Rob Porter’s or Gen. John Kelly’s? From Vanity Fair: Is Kelly so tone deaf he can’t react to the claims (with photos)...

New allegations about the Steele dossier and its origins should have people asking the FBI to explain its methods in the case. A roundup of editorials Friday takes a look at the issue. From The Federalist: When did President Barack Obama know about the Steele dossier? Why isn’t the media asking that question? From The Washington Examiner: What caused the FBI to rely on uncorroborated information...

While most of America was asleep, the federal government suffered its second shutdown in less than a month, as one Republican
Senator prevented action in Congress to avoid a budget lapse at midnight, forcing the House and Senate to work through the
night to restore funding, ensuring that government offices would be open on Friday. “This is the dumbest shutdown ever,&rdquo...

For the second time in less than a month, the federal government officially ran out of money to operate, as the latest shutdown
began at the stroke of midnight here in Washington, D.C., though Congressional leaders were hopeful that the federal government
would be fully open for business by breakfast, as the House and Senate were poised to act after midnight. The lapse in funding...

The White House did not provide on-the-record information to back President Trump’s claim that gang members have taken advantage of loopholes and laws to come in as unaccompanied minors. He linked illegal immigration to the violence of the notorious El Salvadoran MS-13 gang, claiming “open borders” have caused the death of many people in the United States. It’s unclear exactly...

In his State of the Union speech, President Donald Trump said a stricter immigration system would help address the country’s opioid epidemic. Ann Coulter, the conservative author and commentator, attempted to provide some context for his comment. There are three claims to address in her tweet: the insinuation that the opioid crisis is limited to or caused by a rise in heroin and fentanyl use...

As the Congress moved to approve a stopgap funding plan to avoid a government shutdown, and a two-year budget agreement worked
out by leaders of both parties, lawmakers were still digging into the details of that budget deal, which approves close to
$400 billion in new spending over the next two years, the first significant increase since the Obama Stimulus law in 2009,
...

Will it be former President Barack Obama who sees more fallout from the FISA memos? A roundup of editorials Thursday takes a look at the issue. From Townhall: What happened to the press and progressives who used to take on Washington corruption? From The American Thinker: Who would have thought that the “what did the president know” moment would refer to President Barack Obama. From...

What will immigration legislation look like when it gets through Congress if it ever does get through? A roundup of editorials Thursday takes a look at the issue. From The Los Angeles Times: The path forward is clear – pass a bill taking care of the Dreamers, then handle take on comprehensive immigration reform. From Jorge Castaneda: If you want Mexico onboard an American immigration plan you...

A two year budget agreement announced Wednesday by Congressional leaders was met with scorn from many more conservative Republicans
on Capitol Hill, as the combination of big increases in military and domestic spending left some GOP lawmakers frustrated
over a lack of budget discipline, while outside groups quickly predicted the plan could swiftly bring back $1 trillion yearly...